Egg-timer.



No. 679,70i. Patented July 30, l90l.

J. MGK. MICHAELSUN. EGG TIMER.

(Application filed Oct. 31, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses 10 Inventor.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MCKENZIE MIOHAELSON, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO 'VVILLIAM ALLAN, OF SAME PLACE.

EGG-TIMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,701, dated July 30, 1901.

Application filed October 31, 1899. Serial No. 735,355. (No modelh To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that JAMES MCKENZIE Mr- CHAELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Timers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an egg-timer; and the object of the invention is to provide a cheap and accurate device of that character.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The invention is susceptible to various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 represents a section on or about line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a bottom edge view to illustrate the spring for retaining the timing-bulb in an approximately vertical position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the band encircling the bulb for pivoting it to the support.

In referring to the drawings in detail like numerals designate like parts.

My invention comprises a support, which may be of any approximate form suoh, for

instance, as the form shown in the drawingsand a timing device, which is preferably a glass bulb, partially filled with liquid or granular solids and having means upon its surface for indicating the different stages of the cooking of eggs, other eatables, or for other purposes.

My preferred construction, as illustrated in the drawings, is composed of a support I, having a central opening 2 and a circular groove 3 arranged centrally around said opening. The glass bulb 4D is divided into two compart ments by a middle contraction 5 and is preferably formed of a plurality of horizontal sections of differently-colored glass. These sections can be separated from each other by peripheral grooves 6, and encircling bands 7 can be placed in said grooves, and indicators or pointers 8 can be formed integral with or attached to said bands, the bands thus serving the double purpose of forming a-support for the pointers or indicators and a protection for the bulb. The bulb is preferably pivoted to the support by a band 9, which is usually formed as shown in Fig. 4 and encircles the middle contraction of the bulb, the band having an extension 10, which is passed through the opening 2 in the support and fastened upon the inner side by a washer 11 or similar device. Stops 12, which may be formed integral with the support, are arranged in the upper and lower portion of the groove 3, and the bulb is provided with a projection 13, which projects outwardly from the bulb-body and extends into the groove and is adapted to abut against either the upper or lower stop to limit the extent of the pivotal movement of the bulb in either direction. The support is provided with a spring device for retaining the bulb in a substantially vertical position, which-preferably consists of a spring-wire 14, having its ends 15 fastened to the support and its middle portion bent into a curved form to form a seat'for the bulb. The support may also be provided with a series of horizontal indicating-lines 16, corresponding to the graduations upon the bulb and having the words Hard, Well done, Medium, Soft, or other words of similar purport arranged thereon.

The operation of the device is as follows: The liquid or granular material in the bulb being allowed to flow into and collect in the lower compartment, the bulb is given a half rotation or turn, reversing the position of the compartments and bringing the lower compartment to the top. The liquid or granular material now flows slowly through the small opening in the middle contraction in the bulb and gradually fills the lower compartment. The cooking or other operation that it is desired to time is commenced simultaneously with the turning of the bulb, and the duration of the same'is indicated by the amount of the flowing material inthe lower compartment, the subdivision of the bulb into sections aiding materially in determining the duration.

It is obvious that this device may be arranged to be used as a timer for various other purposes, and I therefore reserve the right for any purpose for which it may be adapted.

I claim as my invention- 1. Atiming device having a support, a twopart glass indicating-bulb partially filled with sifting material united by a middle contraction and divided horizontally into a series of difierently-colored sections, and a metal tube encircling the middle contraction and having a pivot fastened to the support.

2. An egg-timer comprising a support having an opening, a bulb having a middle contraction and filled with sifting material, a metal tube having enlarged ends and conforming to and encircling the middle contraction of the bulb and provided with extensions passed through the opening in the support.

3. An egg-timer comprising a support, a glass bulb pivoted thereto, and divided into a series of differently-colored sections by encircling bands, said bands having horizontal pointers and said support having a series of indicating-lines corresponding to the pointers.

4. An egg-timer, comprisinga support having an opening and a circulargroove arranged centrally around said opening, a bulb having a middle contraction and an extension projectinginto the groove, a band encircling the contraction and having a pivoting portion extending into the opening in the support, and stops in the groove against which the extension abuts.

5. An egg-timer, comprising a support, a 5

bulb pivoted to said support, and a spring having its ends fastened to the support and its middle bent to form a seat into which the bulb is sprung, for maintaining said bulb in an approximately vertical position.

6. A timing device comprising a support, an indicating-bulb pivoted thereto, and a spring mounted on the support below the pivoting-point of the bulb for maintaining said bulb in an approximately vertical position with a spring tension.

7. A timing device comprising a support having a central opening and a circular depression surrounding said opening, an indicating-bulb pivoted thereto by a pivot fastened in the central opening and a downward extension traveling in the circular depres sion, and stops arranged in the depression for limiting the pivotal movement of the bulb.

8. A timing device comprising a support having a circular recess, an indicating-bulb pivoted thereto and having a downwardlyextending projection extending into the depression,stops in the depression for limiting the pivotal movement of said bulb, and a spring for maintaining said bulb in an approximately vertical position with a spring tension.

JAMES MCKENZIE lllIOllAEhSON.

WVitnesses:

A. J. SANGSTER, L. M. BILLINcs. 

